Thill or shaft for vehicles.



No. 656,087. Patented Aug. l4, I900. C. R. &. A. R. BROWN.

THILL OR SHAFT FUR VE HICLES. (Application filed June 8 1900.;

(No Model.)

Nrrnn TATES CHARLES R. BROWN AND ARTHUR R. BROWN, OF VVEATHERBY, MISSOURI.

THILL OR SHAFT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,087, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed June 8, 1900. Serial No. 19,518. (lilo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES R. BROWN and ARTHUR R. BROWN,citizens of the United States, residing at Weatherby, in the county of De Kalb and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thills or Shafts for Carriages, Wagons, 850., of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to shafts or thills for vehicles; and the object of the same is to so form and arrange the shafts or thills that when they are connected with the front axle of a vehicle the position of the draft-animal will be such as not to be compelled to travel upon the ridge or rough part of the road formed between the beaten tracks by the continual passing of double teams, but the draftanimal will be free to travel in one of the beaten tracks without requiring the wheels of the vehicle to leave the track previously made by the wheels of the double teams.

Our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and the arrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

The manner in whichour invention is or may be carried into effect can be best eX-- plained and understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pair of shafts of the right-hand arrangement made in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the left-hand arrangement. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cross-piece for securing the two shafts together.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 represents the near or right-hand thill; 2,

the off or left-hand thill; 3, the cross-piece.

7 to quite near the center or whiffletree pin 6, forming a flat horizontal part 8, and from that point it is then bent rearward at right angles and curved downward,as in the ordinary form of thill. 'The opposite or off or left-hand thill 2 is similarly formed as the thill designated by numeral 1, excepting that the portion thereof described as being bent inward is in this shaft 2 bent outward at 9 to form a flat horizontal part 10, (similar in all respects to part 8 of shaft 1,) and is thence bent rearward or at a right angle and then curved downward, as in the ordinary thill or shaft now almost universally in use. These two oppositely-arranged flat horizontal surfaces 8 and 10 thus provided atcorresponding points on shafts l and 2 form seats for the'cross-piece 3 which eXte'nds across and is riveted at its ends to these surfaces 8 and 10, and thereby securely and firmly hold the shafts together. The

cross-piece 3 is formed with a straight inner edge 11, while the opposite or outer side 12 is slightly curved inward at its center 13 and the ends 14 are preferably flattened or widened somewhat. By this arrangement the cross-piece 3, it will be seen, is narrow and thicker at its center, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In order to further provide against any liability of the shafts becoming accidentally loosened or strained, we make use of a curved U-shaped brace 4, hereinbefore referred to, which is placed between the shafts, so as to abut against the cross-piece 3, and which is secured at its ends to either shaft and at its center to the said cross-piece 3, as clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

By the construction above described we produce thills or shafts for vehicles which allow the draft-animal to travel in one of the beaten tracks made by using double teams, and which also permits the wheels of the vehicle to travel the same track made by the wheels of double teams. It will also be understood that by this arrangement the driver of the vehicle will have a clear View in front.

The above-described construction and arrangements of the several parts enables us to produce an extremely simple and durable device which can be cheaply manufactured.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In thills or shafts for vehicles the combination of the thill or shaft 1, extending inward to form a horizontal portion, then rearward and downward therefrom, the opposite thill or shaft 2 extending outward to form an opposite horizontal portion, then rearward and downward therefrom, the cross-piece having its ends extending across and fastened to the said horizontal portions of the said shafts or thills, whereby the same are firmly and securely held together and the whiffletree substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. In thills or shafts for vehicles the combination of the thill or shaft 1, extending inwardly to form a horizontal portion, then rearward and downward therefrom, the opposite thill or shaft 2 extending outwardly to form a corresponding or opposite horizontal portion,then rearward and downward therefrom, the cross-piece having its ends fastened to the said horizontal portions, thereby firmly securing the shafts together, the curved brace secured at its ends to the shafts or thills and at its center to the cross-piece, and the whiffletree, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. In thills or shafts for vehicles the combination of the thill or shaft 1, extending inwardlyto form a horizontal portion, then rearward and downward therefrom, the opposite thill or shaft 2 extending outwardly to form a corresponding or opposite horizontal portion, thence rearward and downward therefrom, the cross-piece formed thicker at its center, and having its ends fastened to the said horizontal portions, thereby firmly securing the shafts together, the curved brace secured at its ends to the shafts or thills and at its center to the cross-piece, and the whiffletree, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 25th day of May, 1900.

O. R. BROWN. A. R. BROWN. Witnesses:

S. F. J oNEs, B. A. MANNING. 

